Give me love
by butterflywingsmadness
Summary: Klaus is a delusional lunatic psycho, dreaming of Caroline whenever he falls in a drunken state. Caroline is coping the loss of two things important to her with alcohol too, and both know what they need. Will they find peace in each other's arms, or will they blow everything up in a pride war? Klaroline, obviously. A bit of Stelena.Rated M for precaution.


**I finished this one-shot, and I decided to put it here in a one-shot only. There's no sense in dividing it in three shots after all. It's a bit long, but I hope you enjoy. As I said before it was slightly inspired in Give me love by Ed Sheeran and the smut part was written to the sound of Undisclosed Desires, by Muse. Hope you like it, although it ends in a sad note.**

**I really don't own TDV or TO, I just love Klaus and Caroline so much. Enjoy :)**

* * *

**_For all the memories left on her skin, she burned for him and drowned herself in alcohol waiting for the moment of a promise to be broken._**

He didn't like to sleep often; a vampire with his age rarely needed those precious hours of the night to go to waste in such frivolous, mundane activities, while most of them tried to follow the rules of the humans, those that had the privilege to have a day walking ring of course, slept and ate like if they hadn't changed. He pitied them: one day truth was going to hit them hard, they were not human or will ever become human again, the sooner they understood that the better. But who was he to say what one can or cannot do? They were all _free_ after all, if they wanted to be delusional he wasn't one to object. Above all the delusional vampires, he was the most perturbed and the most masochist. Because he didn't like to sleep, it was a surprise when he found himself laying on the couch of the library, a book open on the ground with its cover facing him and a classic bottle of bourbon emptier than he thought he left it, disoriented and with a hangover, her face still haunting his eyelids whenever he closed them.

"Klaus", he heard his sister's strident voice coming from upstairs, a sound so painfully acute he cringed, his teeth gritting in full torture.

"Not now, Rebecah!", he screamed against the throbbing of his head, giving his location away.

"Klaus", she found him sitting in the couch, fingers massaging the bridge of his nose, exhaling, only she didn't know if he was furious with her callings or not, so she softened her voice when talking again. "Klaus, where have you been all night? Marcel …"

She was cut off middle sentence by the motion of his hand telling her to stop. "Obviously, dear sister, if you were paying attention more often, you'd realized I was here all along, since yesterday evening", he said turning to her, his voice venomous. She jumped at the unforeseen deadly stare he threw at her following his words.

"Nik", she approached him trying to reach that bubble of angriness but he dismissed her. "I'm not in the mood for your little, insignificant problems with Marcel", he said, despising the name. "And as for Hayley or Elijah if one of them try to find me tell them I went to hell", he got up, his face contorted in anger, blowing furious amounts of air like a rabid dog, taking his jacket from the floor violently. Passing by Rebecah, she could discern sadness in his lonely greyish eyes, like he was suffering, a mad man utterly lonely in his court full of minions and pawns and she thought to herself that his brother already lived in hell. She sighed, all three Mikaelsons thought family was enough. Always and forever, that was their oath. They couldn't foresee Klaus falling in love, of all of them, he was the last to ever be thought capable of loving someone, and here he was mopping around like a wounded, solitary wolf because of some baby irritating blonde vampire he did not see for more than 10 years. She sat quitting her attitude, exhaling sonorously tired of all of her life, and thought that "he would never admit it he's still in love for her. Such prideful wolf he is."

Klaus was sitting in the attic of the church of New Orleans, where Mikael was brought to life one last time to hunt him. Again and again his story comes full circle, and once again he's fighting for his surviving. Alone. Not even his siblings joined him in its last fight. He sipped his drink, so eagerly half of his bottle of scotch was already done. He had a few more waiting for him laying on the ground. He was already drunk when a memory assaulted his mind.

_He was in pain, blinding pain he could not say if the Caroline that came around the door was the real or just one more of Silas' tricks. He begged her, in his disgraced state of mind and body, to stop haunting him._

If right then he didn't want to see her, afraid it was Silas again, now he would be glad if her face showed up again in his drunken state. The first time it happened he was taken by surprise, he was so drunk he could barely manage to walk, and her beautiful reproving eyes were looking at him, once again disappointed by what was in front of them. Klaus Mikaelson, the almighty king, a drunkard. She did not say anything that night, but he managed to say some blurry words: "Carol – ine, love, what're you doing here?" She laughed at him, mocking him silently in her corner of the room, while tilting her head to the sides in disapproval. His brows shot up, first in surprise, then he was consumed by anger "you, of all, have the less right to mock me, Caroline!" and his bottle ended up flying to Caroline, dismissing her image in a blur. He could not form a proper sentence to describe what was that, he could swear she was there, not just her body, but her scent was spread all around his room. Was he dreaming?, he asked to himself, his vision of the room already doubled, his body pending vertiginously to one side of him, until Elijah showed up in his door, his face showing some strange emotion towards his brother, that Klaus could not place or distinguish. He never became so drunk in awhile, and he knew Caroline wasn't really there with him that night, he was all alone that night, Elijah told him, but he didn't want to find out how or why she _was _there, because he knew once he found out he would hunt down every possibility to be with her, even if it was only a image. The second time he got that much drunk, she was there again, now he could understand her emotion: she was worried. He had his fair share of shots with Marcel after a fight with his sister that sent her away for a couple of months, turning him an even more sour vampire than he already was. He was drinking every night and one of those, she was there, worry and compassion showing in her lovely features. Was he going insane? He approached her, afraid she would disappear before his eyes like before, her scent of sun, daisies and honey covering him, drowning him in. "What are you… " his voice shushed touching the soft curls of her hair feeling the reality of her presence, she looked up at the touch fixing her eyes on his, smiling shyly, sadness in her soft blue eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands, telling no, 'don't talk', she conducted him to bed, laying with him. He drank in her sweetness, her presence soothing for a tormented soul and punished body, he tried to ease the pain he saw in her face trying to touch her forehead with his finger, but she crawled back, saying once again no with her head. "I cannot touch you now, love?", he accused, in mocking offense, she confirmed with a brief shake of her head, a small sad smile protruding in her lips. The worry wouldn't go, though. "I'm okay, love, you can be at ease now", she smiled again and when he saw her relaxing his eyes closed, finally finding peace, he thought, now that she was here. Next afternoon he was alone, running the stairs screaming for his brother. "Where is she? Elijah?", his last syllables dragging in his furious mouth.

"She?" Hayley appeared from one of the rooms, "who's she?"

"Don't play games with me, little wolf. Where is Caroline?" he pointed at her, demanding an answer and Hayley could swear he was getting mad, totally insane she thought. Klaus could see himself in her eyes: his eyes wide open in despair, his hair dishevelled and dirty clothes, stained with alcohol and blood – a man going definitively insane. "Oh", he fell in reality; one could hear his pungent landing on planet Earth again hard and painful. He had dreamt of her, again, of her sweetness and kindness. He tried to recompose himself, his pride already tainted with his reverie before Hayley, of them all, "I'm sorry Hayley, I must have awaken up confused. Don't tell anyone, will you, love?" She was perplexed by the randomness of his actions, but she agreed with him, nonetheless. "Okay", she thought to herself he was no business of hers so why would she bother?

Few nights of heavy drinking were enough for him to understand how she would appear in his life again and again, a combination of alcohol, sadness and despair was all he needed to bring her for his dreams. A self destructive but-oh-so-sweet way to end himself in bed with her even if it was not always she appeared in a good mood. Often, she showed herself mad at him, disapproving his recent ways of living his so wanted life or his recent actions, but she always was silent. He wondered why, because he could conjure in his head, her soft features as if she was real, and her alluring scent so strong he could not breathe without feeling tempted to brush his nose in the soft skin of her neck, but he could not find her voice. Maybe her voice was the trigger to reality, he thought, once she spoke she would be gone. Maybe that was why dream's Caroline was silent and always denying her voice to him, in his dreams, at least, she knew she didn't want to go away and stayed with him until the very last minute of conscience… or unconsciousness, Klaus couldn't really tell.

_xxx_

"Caroline?", Matt was shaking the blond vampire, annoyance showing every time she grunted and growled again in her drink induced sleep winning one more roll of his eyes. "Fuck, Caroline! Not again!", he screamed in her ear, she conceded an indolent turn of her head to her friend, already turning thirty human years, a lazy smile crossing her features, stretching out and her hand shooting through her half emptied glass of tequila of last night, finishing it right then, the burn in her throat sweet and needed to wake up. "You really drink yourself all day?", he asked boredom masking worry, he sat on one of the bar's stalls looking at her.

"No", she answered getting up in one jump to her feet, an amused smile in her lips but not on her eyes. "I'll just be eternally seventeen, so I must proceed like the rest of the seventeen years-old", she said turning to leave the bar.

Matt reached her hand "You're still grieving about your mother's dead. Don't go make mistakes, Caroline." Deep down he still worried with her, a fragile appearance and a fragile being could not be okay after all that she went through. The fact she was drowning every single night in alcohol was proof, and the only thing that he could find some peace in was the fact that alcohol didn't affect her that much, only sleepiness was brought with it.

"I won't, rest assured", she whispered, thanking him with her eyes. She wandered through town, the same old tow, the same old faces, the same old dangers and adventures, but only she would be here for them now. Last years, everyone found their own adventures and journeys to pursue. She and Matt stayed, along with a witch of the Bennett's lineage protecting the city that once was full of mystique creatures and now was full of humans, unthreatening humans. She sighed, what else could she do? Drinking was the only one thing that could at least bring her out of boredom and emptiness that filled whenever she was sober. If only… She regretted the day she refused her destiny, her only one chance of having the epic love everyone found after her. And if not her epic love, at least she would live an epic adventure to tell after she returned to Mystique Falls, because she knew someone like _him _was incapable of love He was danger, and darkness and he would bring her down eventually if she went with him, he would hurt her and make her miserable, only after making her the happiest girl on the world with his tender smiles and mellowed sentences that melted even the most averse hearts of his fondness; softness she knew he only reserved for her. She let a tear roll down only to catch it right beneath her eyes. "You won't cry, Caroline Forbes, you won't cry", and Elena came to her mind, smiling and giddy announcing her departure with Stefan, they would cross the world. She could not bring her strength to ask to go with them, nor Elena mentioned that desire of going accompanied with her friend, so she wished them all the luck and returned to college, completed two courses in between and here she was again waiting for Elena to show up with marvellous souvenirs and a bag full of stories to share, right before Christmas. She remembered Klaus and his siblings going away, she forced herself to stay way of the moment of their departure, but she could tell Klaus felt her presence or he wouldn't turn around exactly to face her in the hiding place she was observing, despite he couldn't see her. That night he was "perfect", she remembered how the word escaped her swollen lips and how her tongue shot out to wet them right then. His eyes wore a shining blue, and although his features were grave every time he turned to face his siblings, his eyes were pure happiness. That's when she regretted the promise she forced him to make. Now that she admitted there was no going back and for all the memories left on her skin, she burned for him and after being alone she started drowning herself in alcohol waiting for the moment of a promise to be broken. How she wanted that he could forget one promise and keep truthful to other? She could go to him, the thought crossed her mind plenty of times she was drunk. She could call him, blaiming her drunkenness, but she knew he had already moved on. He had a daughter, a beautiful one she knew from Matt and his on and off lover Rebecah, and that he had a couple of affairs. In last five years she didn't hear anything from any of them. Matt broke up definitively with Rebecah, ending the source of information.

_"__Why do you care about Klaus?", Matt turned to her one night, after he told her he had broken up with Rebecah. For good._

_"__I don't care", she said, obviously lying. "It's just that… we barely have any contact of outside world. Elena doesn't call, we know nothing from vampires outside this town, and I bet _they _are having plenty of fun in New Orleans", the way she said New Orleans made Matt hide a smile, for it was just like Klaus Mikaelson pronounced it. "What?", she snapped at him, momentarily angry because she noticed he noticed how deep in her skin Klaus could reach._

_"__Nothing", he said, hands in the air asking forgiveness, but his eyes and smile were not sorry at all. "Why don't you go have _your_ fun, Caroline? It's time for you to go." He stated the obvious still cleaning the balcony of his bar, and Caroline gave him an annoyed look, but deep down he saw the pain beneath it all. She couldn't go. In her head she would betray her friends running to the devil himself. And so she stayed, delaying her happiness year after year. Matt knew Caroline was convinced she wouldn't find happiness with _him_, of all people in this world, but she could neither be happy with someone else. She was helpless, but she was alright for now, he thought._

"Time for me to go, hn?", she repeated to herself, her unbeating heart jumped recognizing what she meant but she was too coward to run for it. So she let the weeks pass by, Elena and Stefan came, they had their little Merry Christmas, she drank until she was passed out just to be found next day in the woods by her friends, and the days after that were the same. She was drunk almost all the time, just like one big bad wolf of an original.

_xxx_

They usually didn't celebrate Christmas, until Hope was five years old and started noticing all the decorations and Santa's figurines placed all around New Orleans. Rebecah and Hayley were, ultimately, the ones that fed the little girl's desire, cherishing it and putting their effort in making the best Christmas' party every year, so when Christmas Eve came, it was hard maintain Klaus sober enough to contribute his share to the party. He didn't like it, people were too cheerful and loud, and the scotch had to be shared, so he excused himself after dinner and retreated to his bedroom, alone with a bottle of whiskey in his hands taken from the bar on the floor underneath of it, so he was taken by surprise when the little girl knocked on the door, a sad smile crossing her petite features. She approached carefully her father, and putting herself in her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek right above the stubble that graced his face every day she knew him. He was perplexed by the gesture and his mouth dropped when she talked in a chirping tone "Merry Christmas, father!" and she ran to her worried aunt, saying she had only kissed her father goodnight. Klaus smiled, not a happy smile, a sad one. Because he wished he could give this baby girl all she deserved but she was not in his plans and she wouldn't ever be. Despite that, he knew she deserved a better father, and a better father meant that he was not allowed to drink heavily, maybe occasionally, but not like the daily routine he had made for himself not caring about anything or anyone. But when another war with witches started brewing, the only logical action to do was giving his child to her mother and aunt, praying for them to run as fast as they could. He would not let his family die on him, but he wasn't stupid to let his family be in a place where a war was starting to take form. A war where he could sense he would lose something precious.

And indeed precious it was, because the only thing maintaining his mind out of the abyss' madness was the certainty of the well being of his Caroline. The witches poisoned him and the last person he though seeing in his darkness was her, the blonde baby vampire. But she was not in her usual sweet self, her eyes were cold, piercing through him like daggers, her creepy smile felt uncomfortable in such lovely faces.

"Caroline", he tried to reach just for her to run from his grasp, laughing hauntingly.

"Such pitiful little thing", she said, words like knifes cutting through his skin. "Careful, love, you're still talking to me", he growled lowly in his throat, his tongue lashing through his lips to make them wet. She was a lovely sight, even more when she was in a leather jacket and black pants. "Oh, Klaus, you're so desperate. Do you really believe I'm her?" And Genevieve appeared from the corner of his mind, Caroline disappearing before his eyes.

"What are you doing here?", his wolf side was taking charge, but she laughed at him, knowing he couldn't do anything, all of that was in his mind, his body was restrained and immobilized somewhere outside in the real world. Knowing this too, his frustration only raised up and he pondered making this physical, and not a good type of physical. He let his lupine teeth appear between his lips, and Genevieve laughed, harder this time.

"You will suffer, Niklaus, at the hands of the one you love the most", she disappeared leaving Klaus chained in his own mind at a chair.

Caroline was a sweet, sweet torture, but her constant nagging and cruelness was too much for him to bear. He didn't know how much could he take from her, one minute she was all kisses and honeyed lips over him, over his body, torturing him so sweetly and with such abandon, and on the next one she would beat the crap out of him, saying viperous things, aiming to hurt him where he thought he didn't hurt. He often needed to remember this was all but a trick of the witches, and still he couldn't help believe it and his mind started to crack. He was loosening himself to the madness of this all, until one night, or day, he couldn't tell, his body was immobilized and his senses all shut, everything that could be done outside was not reaching him, Genevieve appeared behind a tied up Caroline, she was in pain whenever Genevieve tortured her in front of him. He tried harder to think this was just a trick, but his mind failed him completely and he has lost his temper. Enough was enough and his body finally gave in to his mind's orders, opening his eyes for once and for all, breaking the chains with his already big paws of a wolf, taking by surprise the witches that were dying one by one by the werewolf now completely turned that was Klaus. "No one shall mess with my head!", he growled back to his normal state. "You're all forbidden of making magic, under penalty of dead", he screamed to the few witches remaining hidden in the corners.

Elijah came to his rescue but it was too late by then. "Good evening, brother", Elijah noticed Klaus' eyes all wide open, he had a sadistic grin in his mouth and his voice was cold as ice. "Klaus", he balanced his head softly to acknowledge the destruction made by his brother. "I deduce this was your making", a corner of his lips turned up humourlessly.

"Clean it, will you, Elijah? I cannot see them while refraining myself to not to kill them one by one." He kicked a chair before going outside the door. This treason would be paid and he better start thinking of payback but not this day. Oh, he already had other plan in mind and that involved a bottle of absinth and a few hours until she appeared again in his room.

She bowed her head, begging his forgiveness; he walked towards her, his eyes softened by the tenderness of his loved one. "It was not you I saw, beautiful Caroline." He tried to smile just to calm her worried features, but she might have noticed the darkness behind his eyes, darkness she was making by being there constantly, or she wouldn't try to disappear. "Don't", he grabbed her wrist knowing her intentions, his eyes pleading her to stay, something she could not do. She bowed her head again, trying to hide her tears. How stupid could he be, making not only the real Caroline but also the fake one cry? How evil was he to extinguish such will of fire, such brightness in few weeks, not only once but twice that some light had finally entered his life? He reached her again, caressing her cheeks with his calloused hands, only to see her leaning a bit to rest her little face between his hands. He could swear they kissed after that, he could swear how soft and tender her lips felt against his once more, how perfect her body fit under his, how sweet her body was, but truth to be told he didn't remembered any of it, he only could have pictured it in his head, because there was no Caroline on his side nor was her scent surrounding him. Day by day, he pursued her using alcohol as catalyst but she never returned, turning Klaus an even madder man, going completely insane with paranoia and mistrust everyday of his miserable life, giving himself only to alcohol and the sweet numbness he could find in it.

_xxx_

"Matt, talk to me, Caroline is impossible right now. Impossible!", Elena complained, almost tearing up in front of both Math and her boyfriend. "What is she doing, wasting her life in booze? Just tell me what happened while I was gone?", she begged again, worried that Caroline was not herself anymore.

"You should ask her yourself, Elena", Matt said nonchalantly. "Matt is right" Stefan said, worsening the worry in her face. "Fine!" she put her hands in the air hopelessly and begin to trout to her friend's house.

"Caroline, it's enough", she said taking the glass of beer out of the blonde's reach. "Elena", she cried out. "Give me that, it's my last I swear", her voice was dragged and confused dictating the last will of Elena. "That's it, lady, you're going to sleep now." She dragged Caroline's body over her bed and watched all night her sorrowful moans over someone she wasn't totally expecting but was not totally taken by surprise either.

Caroline was dreaming of a wounded Klaus chained to a metal bed cindering, crying out in pain and he was looking at her but she couldn't move to rescue him, his body arching up trying to run away from the burning metal beneath his body. "Klaus", she tried to say, reaching him for help, but her voice was caught in her throat in a bubble that could almost choke her. Out of hair, she wake up hastily, her head becoming dizzy from the brusqueness of her actions. Elena caught her arms before she could think of running, and Caroline was in a state she would try to run. The panic in her eyes was palpable, and Elena was caught off guard when she noticed the panic wasn't because in the dreams Klaus was trying to attack Caroline, but because she was worried with him instead. She felt sorry for the little blonde girl. How long was she in love with the devil in disguise? "Caroline, calm down, please", she said when Caroline started sobbing. "He was in pain, and I couldn't help him, he was _alone_, utterly alone, Elena. I cannot take it anymore. He was so lonely and I couldn't reach him. He was suffering without anyone beside him and it hurt, hut so much watching him in pain, alone, not even his family", the words flew out of her mouth, desperately trying to pass the message: yes, Caroline Forbes was worried about Klaus, the devil himself, and if she searched deeply in her eyes, Elena could see more than just worry. She sighed, after all these years, Caroline was suffering two losses after all. Her mother's was just the catalyst to her erratic behaviour but was Klaus the only one inside her head right now.

"Caroline, we'll think through this, okay?", she waited for Caroline to wave back that she understood what was being told. "You're confused and you need to talk to someone, please. But for now, you will sleep no dreams, okay?" Caroline became agitated, "no… no! I need to know how he is. Please", her crying was heartbreaking, her voice broken by violent sobs. "Calm down, Caroline. He is alright. He's the almighty Klaus, the alpha male. It was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep, Care. He will be there tomorrow" she said, succeeding in laying Caroline again, soothing her tormented expression in soft features of sleep. "Oh. My. God." Elena exhaled before she left the room and went find Stefan and Matt.

"You could have told us earlier, Matt." Elena gave him a severe look of disapproval, still mad at him for hiding such information. "How long has she been like this?" Stefan could manage asking, taking Elena's hands to caress them between his.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Since you parted your ways, leaving her here taking care of herself. Her mother died and what would you do instead of being around her? You leave for a trip crossing the seas!", he was angry now, he has watched his friend going to complete alcohol induced numbness without saying a word because he knew that she would only be open about it with Elena. But Elena wasn't around, and alcohol delayed time until she was available. "I just figured it out it was Klaus, after she kept asking about New Orleans when I still dated his sister."

"I'm sorry", Elena could say, hurt in her voice, was she just a bad friend that left Caroline grieving alone the loss of her mother and an epic love? Caroline was always there for them when all these years Caroline was put aside of everything and left behind, without anyone to hang on. Stefan understood her thoughts crossing her face, agreeing silently with the fact that they were indeed shitty friends.

"What do you suggest?", she turned to Matt, the only person who was really there watching over Caroline last 15 years. Elena would mend things up, Caroline needed to find happiness, even if it was in the arms of such repulsive man.

"She needs to know she isn't betraying you, her friends, for turning to him. He gave her something that none of us could, and she feels she lost it, because if she went with him fifteen years ago, she knew you all would blame her and accuse her of turning her back. She put her friends first and you all should realize that. All these years of being put aside, now it's her turn to find happiness. Let her go, tell her she deserves happiness _wherever_ it is for her." Matt turned his back on the couple, that selfish couple that unconsciously stopped Caroline of being happy.

Although Matt was giving the speech of his life to her friends, unknowingly Caroline was already packaging her things in a travel bag. She could not stay one more minute on this damned town without knowing how Klaus was. Even if he had indeed moved on by now at least she would be calm for he was just fine with his life. And she did not intend to show up on him, no, she could watch from afar, keeping enough distance to see if he was okay and simultaneously run away from the city. Her thoughts were clashing against each other. She knew she shouldn't love him. "I don't", she bit back her own words and continued rummaging her room for underwear and clothes. But he also showed her kindness and never once she gave it back, only harsh words, even in their last goodbyes. "Stupid, stupid, stupid", she screamed at the top of her lungs before collapsing in her bed. She was already quitting her ideas even before making them come true when she heard Elena and Stefan entering her room. Elena knocked, not for asking permission but for catching her attention again before she saw the room and clothes all around on the floor and bed.

"Are you leaving?", she only asked, familiarized already with the idea, for she just saw it coming. "It's only for a week or so. I… call you when I'm there", Caroline answered, sadness in her eyes, afraid she was being a huge disappointment for them. Stefan stepped out from behind Elena, and hugged Caroline. "Care, you need to be happy, okay? Is this what you really want? Don't want us to drive you to the airport?" She shook her head no vehemently. "I can do this alone. I _need _to do this alone", she stressed the needing part; Caroline wouldn't move on with her life without seeing for her own eyes how was he doing. "And I can manage a car trip to-", she swallowed before pronouncing it out loud, making it real.

Elena understood her struggle and hugged Caroline in her arms: "If you need anything, anything at all just call us. He won't hurt you, but if he tries, call us, we're on your step right away. Please, Caroline. You're not betraying us. It's just… Why didn't you tell us sooner?", Elena was with that suffocating her so she just shoot straight, perceiving right next the pain and the turmoil going inside Caroline's head. "You were with bigger problems than me, I was just starting to know myself and I knew you would all look at me like I was going mad, and maybe I was… _am_. And he was our enemy after all. I couldn't betray you, I couldn't betray _him_, but I hurt him in the end. I just hope he forgives me, that's all I'm asking, so I can move on." She breathed, letting it all out with a final smile lighten up her tender features, softening her forehead. "Tell Matt I love him, will you? I need to go, or I won't have any whim of courage. Please, take care of you, and Matt. Don't leave him alone." She kissed Elena and Stefan goodbye, under their whispers of "we will. Stay safe", and she put her bags finally on her car and rode.

"We're bad friends, Stefan", Elena said letting herself slide the door of Caroline's house. Stefan followed her humming in accordance. "We are", he just said like it was a matter of fact "Matt will kill us!", Elena added. "No, he won't. He wants the best for Caroline. I'm sure he'll be happy she's just not drowning herself in his bar" they laugh humourlessly in their little chuckles. Elena stopped her laughs and turn to him: "Do you think she will eventually forgive us?" Stefan flashed her a smile "she already has, Elena. She's not a person of holding grudges. I still wonder what she can see in _him_, you know, but I'm sure of what he sees in her." Stefan hold the brunette's shoulders and shook them a bit, making her smile.

_xxx_

Maybe the voices of reason were right. All he had to do was to pick up the phone, dial the so known number and press the button to send the call forward. Maybe he was just crazy to think she didn't already forget him by then, she didn't show up at his door after all. Did he even have hopes for that to happen? Caroline was a huge mess of a vampire, more human than the own humanity, and still she pulled of her vampire side so well. She had bewitched him on that first night she was dying on his arms, begging she didn't want to die. He wouldn't let her anyway. So beautiful, even in death bed she was an exquisite vision of what Heaven should be like, and her lovely features were already burned on his memory forever. Even after fifteen years he could feel the heat coming from where his heart should be whenever he thought of her, sweet, sweet Caroline. But he was _darkness _and darkness consumed _light_. She knew that then and she refused to let herself be extinguished, only for him to feel like drowning in alcohol more and more, year after year. He lost count the times he had to convince some minion to go grab gallons of alcohol just so he could forget. That was one of those days. His vision was already blurred when he decided he needed more, but there was no one near sight so he just wandered the place looking for someone or two of the poor mate, he thought, no humour impregnated on the comment as he was incapable of amusing himself today. That's when the silent Caroline was picking around the corner, appearing to him on every door until he stopped in front of her. She again said no, and the painful expression she wore was incomprehensible for him, he tried to reach her, just to follow her down the stairs and be in front of not one, but two Carolines now. "Son of a…" his eyes widened, not wanting to believe, in front of him was two Carolines, one so sad, he knew she was his companion of drunkenness, and the other seemed taken by surprise like she was not expecting seeing him here. He looked frantic when the second Caroline spoke for the first time her chirping voice reaching his wanting ears. Then he snapped like a crazy psycho he was and one could hear his mind breaking finally in two, his spurt making second Caroline jumping for the door scared.

"Those damn witches! Elijah!", he screamed on top of his lungs, just stopped when Elijah was already in the room, eyeing both an insane Klaus holding his head in his hands like it hurt and a blonde vampire that he thought he knew from Mystique Falls with her brows held up in utter shock. "They messed me up. I knew it. She never spoke... She never was here, and now there's two of her!" he pointed at them, but Elijah only could see one of the vampire he was talking about. "She talks, Elijah. She…" He didn't finish his sentence; Caroline had had enough and ran to him, snapping his neck so he could just shut up for a while. Both she and Elijah were shocked how Klaus let her do that, not even defending himself, like he was really surprised she was of flesh and bone.

Rebecah and Hayley heard the screams coming from the hall, but while the former was not interested in another Klaus' tantrum, Rebecah followed the screams just to find a blonde vampire gazing above Klaus laying on the ground in what it seemed a deep slumber "… with his neck broken. Elijah, care to tell me what happened?" Caroline turned to see Rebecah on the other end of the hall. "Oh, great! You snapped the neck of my brother, Klaus of all of them."

Caroline exhaled deeply, focusing. First things first, so she presented herself to Elijah "Don't know if we were formally presented, so I'm Caroline Forbes, an acquaintance of your siblings." Elijah followed her line intrigued why she seemed worried and simultaneously annoyed at Klaus' rant. "Now, one of you would please tell me why Klaus seemed like he was near a mental breakdown after he saw me?"

Elijah turned to Rebecah; she gave a little nod agreeing to whatever he was going to say. "Miss Forbes, I think you found my brother in his drunk self. And I bet you are the delusion he sees himself into every night after he had his fair share of alcohol. Please, just let me take him to his room and I'll talk to you next. Rebecah, please, guide Miss Forbes, as you know her better, to the library. I'll follow you both as soon as I can." Elijah dismissed them with a gracious movement of his hand before he tried to pick Klaus onto his shoulders. Caroline avoided stepping on Klaus and let herself be lead by Rebecah, never taking his eyes from the sleeping form of the original hybrid, her dead heart jumping afraid of what would he do as soon as he found himself awake. For what she knew, he was full of alcohol on the system so she had a few more hours to talk peacefully with his brothers, and hopefully a day or so before he was fully awake.

Rebecah tried to make her comfortable, giving her a glass of bourbon that Caroline found herself putting all her strength in denying that glass, though she needed it, she wouldn't let the alcohol dictate her actions, not while around Klaus. "You don't drink?", Rebecah shot one eyebrow to her hairline, inquiring.

She shook her head, denying it again "No, I've drunk my fair share these last few years, sorry", she sat up on the couch. Rebecah shoot her one odd glance before she commented "you're good for him then", words that Caroline could easily have heard. "What do you mean by that?", Caroline looked at her worryingly. Rebecah would start speaking, but Elijah interrupted, fixing his suit jacket on the sleeves. "Rebecah, if you excuse us, me and Miss Forbes, have a few things to discuss." Rebecah sighed exasperated for being put aside once again but she managed a smile, genuinely happy that Caroline was here and if her presence was good enough it was for making Klaus see the wrongs of his actions.

_xxx_

She was sitting on the couch in front of his bed, her head throbbing painfully in an ache that was consuming her since the last talk with Elijah, the noble Original. She had a difficult time enduring it all, Klaus was near pure madness, only if he was stable but he was not, and these years, as seen by his siblings, only contributed to his sinking of rational thoughts to pure delusional ones, the alcohol not helping at all and feeding him images of what they thought now to be her, only confirmed by an episode told by Hayley. What kind of images she wondered but a blush crept her cheeks right way, knowing Klaus and the way he thought of her back then. And then there was Hayley again, mother of Klaus' daughter and traitor, daughter of a… Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft rustle of the sheets Klaus was sleeping in, his eyes making a huge effort to open while Caroline was up in her feet in a flash of time. Hovering over him, she could not maintain the sweet features that she held to everyone else, and unconsciously, her face contorted in almost disdain, only she did not feel it at all. After noticing he was already making his way to get up, she darted "Rise and shine, little cub, rise and shine!" She gave him a sardonic smile, and crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting.

Klaus was so disoriented when he woke up that he found himself trying to familiarize again with his surroundings when the scent hit him, flooding his nostrils with sun, daisies and honey all that in full power that he looked across the room just to see her standing up with an eyebrow held high, her expression a mixture of inquisition, worry and relief. "Caroline" he managed to say but she was already throwing him clothes, his shirt, a pair of pants, socks and boxers for all her shame. "Dress yourself, we have a lot to talk", she was bossy, her chin high in superiority when she walked out of the door and he smiled, knowing this was Caroline after all. If this was another prank of his head he was just glad she found her voice and could talk around him now, although the sweetness was momentarily gone for now, he knew it would comeback when he was drunk again. He looked at himself in the mirror, fully dressed now and waiting to see her image again, but she wouldn't come and his neck looked somewhat bended to one side, and then he realised.

"Someone broke my neck", he screamed around the house, just to be on the dining room with the table full with his family eating breakfast, only he didn't see Caroline there, so he knew the delusion continued – and he thought now Elijah and Rebecah were part of it. "Who was the poor soul who had the dumbfounded idea of breaking: My. Neck?!" he screamed again when someone's little hands poked his shoulders making him turn around just to be taken by surprise.

"Have something to do to me, Klaus, because I was the one who broke your neck." She smiled widely, not worrying if he would snap her neck or bite her. She was just genuinely happy to see him lucid that it was really surprising for him absorbing all that shining glory of her smile and true joy that the one who felt dumbfounded was him, letting his mouth drop in astonished expression. "Caroline, love, how…" he turned to his family reassuring himself all of them could see her right now in front of him. She smiled a bit and made an enticing gesture with her head, telling him to follow her into the library.

When he woke up from the trance her walk in front of him was making, he gave two quick steps just to grab her by her wrist. She looked at him, now her eyes softened and a gentle smile carefully put on her face, he questioned with his eyes, tormented, and started stroking her skin sending shivers through all her body. She knew the turmoil begin to rise in the deepest of his eyes, of course, he was still thinking he was going insane and after all she heard she wouldn't blame him. "I'm really here, Klaus. Rest", she said, honeyed voice for his sensitive ears, a husky tone he craved all his delusions. Her hand caught Klaus' and she proceeded to lead him to the library; closing the door behind them she exhaled sonorously, making Klaus tilting his head to one side.

"A penny for your thoughts, love?" he tried, but all the joking tone was lost, he was being sincere."I'm not happy with what I heard from your siblings, Klaus", she said straight forward, now she was angry with herself, mostly because she knew now she was the reason, and with _him_. How could he be so hot headed and cold at the same time? "Oh, _that_. I'm sorry if my ways of coping are not the ideal ones", he retorted biting back her words with sourness and pretended malice. Only if he knew _her _ways of coping were exactly the same as his, but she hadn't anyone who needed protection. He had; it was different from her point of view. "Coping with what, Klaus? You left by your own will!" She tried to not yell but the words were out even before she thought of them, she was mad at _him_ for playing like a drunkard all this time, leaving his so wanted life to ruins and his family almost unprotected, but he couldn't see that. Klaus gave a cautious step back, her words stinging where it should be his heart. She sat in a chair near the door, her hands fully covering her face, the headache was starting to rise again and she was breathing deeply. Klaus made her frustrated, really. Why couldn't she leave him be, he was a psychotic, maniac with hints of paranoia and mistrust that would turn on your heels if not carefully handed and she was a hot headed, rapid mouthed vampire who could be easily killed by him, But he didn't kill her even though her little stunt a day ago, she was still here and she couldn't find the strength to leave now.

"Why are you even here, Caroline?" She could hear the pain in his voice, masked unsuccessfully with anger, making her head rise from where it was and locking her eyes on him. "Wasn't _this_ enough already?" and he stressed the word with his hands pointing to the vacant space between them, and she gave him a desperate look.

"I was in the neighbourhood", gathering all her self-respect and own pride she lied not wanting to give him the truth because she didn't want to believe it either. But if she was certain of one thing was that Klaus smelled bullshit miles away from it, he could distinguish it in her voice, in her hesitance and frowned face, far away from the honest face she pulled whenever with him, even if it was to show contempt, her face was always truthful to him, now she was hiding something. "Liar", he threw at her, knowing she would look incredulous and offended by it, at least a true emotion crossed her face, he said to himself. "Why are you here, love? Are the Scooby-Doo gang in need of big bad wolf again?", his voice was deliberately cold now, a mocking tone mixed with anger boiling underneath, he approached her place, cautiously, his steps not making a fuss like a predator cornering his prey, and she could perfectly be a little, sweet and chirping prey. She looked at him in defiance, her eyes stating the so characteristic sentence of hers 'really?', her mouth pouting and her tongue playing with her teeth that he felt himself fighting back his arousal, for her independence and fearless attitude were some of the things he liked in her, trying to concentrate on his fury when thinking she was only there by interest. "Actually, no." She jumped in her feet, answering, her tone two octaves louder than needed, and putting herself in front of him at the level of his neck, 'was he that tall?', the excited part of her mind thought, making her lick her lips, action she regretted because she saw the lust crossing his greyish eyes when he caught her doing it, turning them a little bit darker than usual. Forgetting her reverie, she continued "They are pretty much happy they don't have a jackass on their heels trying to kill them every single day", she smirked and he could see her annoyance starting to flood her blue eyes. She was starting to regret coming here and he could see the transformation begin in her eyes, then her mouth and right next the way her body trembled in anger for him. His body moved on its own, his mind catching his hand reaching for a piece of her blonde hair just to touch it softly, a caress from what she retreated a bit, stepping back from him, or he was war doom, a pink tone graced her cheeks for she knew Klaus was feeling the same as fifteen years ago, and Klaus looked at her, trying to figure out what her emotions were: he could see torment, and pain but also shyness. His anger was lost in between when he thought Caroline was never shy around him. And then it hit him in the head, Caroline was obviously a bad liar to him, he knew how to read her and here she was standing in front of him, acting all shy and coy just from a mere touch in her hair, a touch he knew it would sting more than he wanted because he gave up for a frivolous act of re-enacting old wounds of rejection, but fifteen years ago she didn't react like that, unless… the thought came quick and forced itself installing in his head even against his will. No, she could not have feelings for him, not now after so long. It was stupid of him, but the thought came, and even knowing the final answer he would be given, he gave himself to the masochist desire of saying it out loud, daring to have unfounded hope. "Caroline, _you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were _fifteen years ago,_ tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever__**[1]**_", he said, passionately, his tongue daring to come out once in a while hypnotising her for few moments.

She was speechless for what seemed to have been hours, Klaus was playing with her hands in his, daring to caress her tenderly while she didn't speak. A wide grin appeared in her soft pink lips, recognising the quote and she laughed bowing her head in disbelief. "Paraphrasing Darcy, are we, Klaus? And here I thought you only had taste for other literature that was not directed to women." And with that both laughed, Klaus happy he could say a truth that was trying to suffocate him for fifteen years and still manage to relax Caroline once again in his arms. "What can I say? Austen was a brilliant mind for a woman of her time. You would like her", he said very Klaus-like and Caroline laughed until a sudden realisation came from the deepest of her thoughts. "You are Mr. Darcy", she didn't ask, she might have but the tone was pending more for a stating of fact than for a question one. He gave her a little chuckle amused and a, what she called, weird look of incredulousness confusing her. "Actually, Finn is, I'm more of Brontë's Heathcliff, love", he stated clearing her confusion. "And I'll never look at none of epic male characters with the same eyes again, knowing the Originals might have a part in them", she laughed, a full genuine laugh. Their eyes met for seconds turning their laughs in little chuckles and extinguishing them in little smiles and a blushing Caroline, one sight Klaus admitted to himself he could be used to it.

"Caroline", his husky voice burned in Caroline's ears, she quivered in anticipation when he forced her eyes to met his, pure blue on greyish blue, it was something that they couldn't deny it was fitting, his palm dared to touch hers and both of their fingers interlocked in a silent agreement, the other was making patterns on her cheek, making her smile in content. He wouldn't say 'I love you', she knew better than that, Klaus had his pride and he was not one to giving that up to anyone, even if it was Caroline, and Caroline wouldn't blurt out those so meaningful words right then because she knew once she admitted there was no turning back and for awhile she desired the fake idea of not being too late to turn back in her will. However deep down, both knew this was a road without that possibility and they were already riding it together.

_xxx_

They both sat at the bar, a glass of scotch playing in the hands of each other, laughing healthily and giving reassuring gazes at one another, despite the heavy cloud hanging above them after she told him it was time for her to go. During the week of her staying she took time to think in the mess they were right now, him being out of a near mental breakdown and both of them really hardcore drinkers and how they couldn't be in a relationship without destroying everything they were, but they still managed to have fun during those few days.

"Where are you going now?" he asked, finishing his drink and ordering another round, despite the fact they both had their fare share of drinking for one day. Caroline caught the hurt beneath his apparent calm, solid voice. She sighed, not wanting to have this conversation. "I might return, or I might not. I really don't know if it's a good idea, after all", she turned to him a sad smile playing in her features while he gave her a pleading look with a question both knew it would be impossible. And he didn't really ask for that out loud, knowing what her answer would be.

"Caroline, I… " 'I'm sorry', he wanted to say, but his pride was bigger than that, and he wouldn't apologize for anything he would have done again, given the chance. She shrugged her shoulders, saying she understood and turning to her new drink, and laughed with pleasure earning an inquisitive glance from Klaus, he was the delusional one not her, for her laugh was almost maniacal, albeit pure. "We're repeating ourselves" she shook her glass, the ice tinkling, while her shining eyes met his and he laughed at the irony. "Think of that this way: at least if one of us do something stupid tonight, tomorrow we won't remember", he smacked his lips together and grinned widely, knowing the lies beneath his words as it was sure he wouldn't forget anything they would do, while receiving another huge laugh from Caroline, a pleasing sound to his ears he would cherish it forever, and so he stopped drinking just watching the blonde vampire going and going through her random conversation and laughing with her whenever she made herself laugh. Klaus could tell she was just enough drunk to think everything was funny and to give everything and giggle and so he took her glass away, saying jokingly "That's it, missy, you're going to sleep now", he caught her in his arms, she was laughing until she realised how his face was near her and the alcohol induced smoke that was filling his eyes was not there anymore. When they were outside the bar, the chilly air was welcomed to clarify some deep thoughts that flooded Caroline the moment Klaus hold her close to his warm body, warmer than hers, and the scent of earth occupying her every thoughts, triggering old memories. Her mouth was becoming dry.

"Want to take a walk?", Klaus asked, worried by her silence. She jumped at the sound of his voice near her, his breath caressing her right cheek, the earthy scent hitting her again. She looked at him, thinking that maybe a walk was just all she needed to clean the alcohol from her system, so she nodded in a silent agreement, winning a smile from Klaus, and she could tell he was just glad she accepted his offer, smiling back. Grabbing his arm and locking it with hers she looked at him before resting her face on his shoulder. Klaus was taken by surprise but gave a soft chuckle that pleased Caroline and kissed the top of her hair, taking his time to engrave her scent in his memories.

The alcohol was already gone when she decided she was good enough to talk again. "I'm sorry, I must made a fool out of myself", she let go of Klaus, the loss stinging where both their bodies were touching, and one could say she was not the only one suffering that loss. "Not at all, love." He stopped walking and before she noticed he was saying: "You are not a fool, just a lovely vampire". She turned to him: he was glaring intensely at her, his breath almost errant. He swallowed closing his eyes for a moment, afraid that what he was going to say would sound like a sappy confession just for her to change her mind. Far away from that, he respected her plans and knew her reasons, for he agreed with them. "What I said, Caroline, it was the pure truth. You must know, you certainly must know", he gasped for air, for his voice was feeling dry in his mouth and came rough. She stepped back at him taking his hand in both of hers, a small smile of gratitude lightened instantaneously her face. "Klaus..." she whispered between her lips. He released his hand from where she was holding it, and ran its back through her jaw in a soft caress, his pointing finger passing tenderly in her cheekbones and when it stopped right above her lips she turned to his calloused hand to place a kiss above his knuckles.

"Caroline", his voice almost a threat for what she didn't know the reaction she would obtain. However, she involved his face between her petite hands and locking her eyes in his she inhaled deeply, making their foreheads touch, the scent of earth, scotch and typical of Klaus flooded her mind, all she could see was him, and he could recognize the feelings that were crossing her beautiful blue eyes. Between them was formed a little place of tenderness and softness, something both embraced with relief, after all the come backs, bitter words and false revulsion, Klaus could see all she felt and she was accepting what he was giving, forgetting the rest of the world.

A smirk grew on her lips, his scent making her desire for him appear once again and her mouth going dry. She bit her lips, her eyes turning deep blue by the lust already present in her and she gave another step towards him, gluing her body with his, and if this was not enough to show him how she felt she didn't know what would do. Recognizing her body language, his tongue came to play with his lips, grey eyes locked on hers in awe and reverence. Caroline noticed the movement and she dared him with a look; in games of dare Klaus wouldn't lose, not even for the baby vampire and he jumped. No literally, as he ended that distance of theirs and gave her a quick but passionate, lustful kiss that ended with him dragging her lower lip between his teeth, leaving the game at her hands now 'come and get it', his eyes were saying defiant.

_xxx_

Her body was pulled violently against the door, her hands held up high above her head by one of his hands, his mouth leaving hers to trace wet kisses in the skin of her neck, pushing her shirt down to expose more of it. The blonde vampire was already moaning when he put his knee between her thighs, trapping her. "Klaus", her voice was broken by a wave of pleasure running free through her body, her head tilting to the side so she could give her neck to him. He was working on it, leaving love marks as he nibbled and sucked every bit of her creamed skin, marking her as his, when his free hand raised just to meet her breasts, teasing them above her clothes, deserving an automatic moan from her,. Caroline was biting her lips to control her voice when he put his hand through the cleavage, feeling the weight of one of her breasts, his hot palm against her needy skin and she let go her lower lip gasping for air; he was torturing her and he was enjoying it, and she decided she had to take part in this too: she started nibbling his skin under his earlobe, letting small puffs of hair caressing his skin, his pleasure noticed by the creep of his skin, she smiled, rubbing her thighs through his knee. Klaus felt her trying to bite him, her teeth brushing his earlobe, indulging themselves craving a bit on his neck skin and he released her abruptly giving her a glance. Caroline could see how tainted with lust Klaus' eyes were, his glance a true panties dropper, for she was feeling her core melting in direction of his knee, needing some friction. She eyed him before she gave a quick glance to his throbbing arousal and biting her lips right next. She wanted him, how much time would he delay her desire?

Klaus' grin was enough to change the atmosphere between them, letting them know this was for real. His hands started ripping her shirt and her bra followed along this line, leaving her bare chest for him to drool. The pieces of her clothes already on the floor, Klaus permitted himself admiring her figure, but this was not the best position, so he threw her on the bed behind them. "Ah", Caroline cried out in surprise but even that came out like a moan, a stimulating melody to his ears. She liked when Klaus assumed control and so she sat on the bed, her hands giving her support behind her back, her breasts fully exposed now and her tongue wetting her lips. Klaus approached the bed, cornering his prey, her figure making wonders for his throbbing cock already fully erect, till the point it hurt for being confined, but he didn't care. A fully dressed Caroline was amazing, but a half naked one half reclined in his bed in anticipation was purely a sight of Heaven, a body of promised sweetness and hidden pleasures all for himself, he added.

He tried to reach her now, only to be stopped by her foot on his chest. "Take it off", she laughed pleasantly, tracing patterns with her tip toe. He acquiesced her wishes and soon his shirt was laying somewhere around the room, his eyes now hungry for her.

Moving her leg aside and placing it behind his back, surrounding his waist, her high-heel touching the lower part of his back right at the beginning of his ass. He kissed her lips until they were swollen and aching. She let her head fall behind when he made his way with his tongue and lips till the sweet valley between her breasts, one hand resting on her back so she could relax and lay down completely against the mattress, while the other was fixed besides her hip for support. Erotic sounds were leaving her when the now free hand started to surround one of her nipples, while his mouth was making his way to the other. She let out a soft cry as soon as Klaus was biting gently the sensitive skin, her hips thrusting against him searching for him, only for Klaus denying it to her pressuring her waist to the mattress "behave", he scowled at to her rising frustration. His hands ran free now caressing her body as Klaus was going down on her, kissing her belly. His tongue darted out to kiss her bellybutton languidly, the heat spreading through her body in sweet, tortuous waves of pleasure every time his tongue was inside her, thoughts on how blasphemous that was running somewhere in her mind, but she dismissed as his tongue was getting a bit more greedy. She arched in need of more towards him, her hips getting impatient and her breathing erratic. He eventually let go that part of her body just so his face could hover above her thighs, his eyes displaying all the hunger he felt. Her guttural sounds ceased for a few minutes, as she raised her head, her eyes pleading for more. He smiled back at her, teasingly while he managed to take her pants off, leaving her panties still covering his prize. She was shocked and started to complain but as soon as he started to land forbidden kisses on her ankles, all the protests were extinguished until her senses were covered by Klaus, and only Klaus. He smelled like sex, in need of actually, earth and sex was a good memory, but now she was making a new one, and her mind erased the last time they were like this, giving it space for the image of Klaus rising between kisses up her legs, once in a while she received a teasing smile and provocative looks only for her to melt a bit more. He was already in her thighs and the "jerk" smirked at her needy core. She hissed, not liking how he was chuckling above the lacy panties amused by her steady rocking of hips only for him to run a bit upper than she could. She needed him and he was teasing her, his fingers travelling up and down the delicate fabric sending shivers through her spine, her breathing being caught up once he reached the throbbing spot he insisted in touching very lightly. In her frustration, she shot her hand to his wrist just so his hand could cup her down there fully and when his heat reached her aching skin her back arched up in a whim. "Please, Klaus", she sobbed, her voice faint beneath a small puff of air.

He bit his lips, his hand now ripping apart her scandalously see-through panties, its fabric all torn now on lying underneath her and she was mercilessly exposed in front of a hungry hybrid. She could feel ashamed and timid now, but the desire he helped building up clouded her self-conscience and the only thing she could think was how badly she wanted Klaus to fuck her senseless, only his thoughts were pretty far from that and the only thing he had in mind for the moment was giving her a little appetizer for what she would be awake all night for. His tongue came out to play with the pink wet skin of hers, first her tights then he ravished her core, while one hand travelled up in her body, cupping one of her breasts and the other her clit. She cried in pleasure, her body trying to squirm under his deliciously racking touch, her hips rising to meet his lips, only to make him remove his hand from her upper body and pin her hips right on the mattress. 'What a feisty little thing she is, even when she's given pleasure', he thought, revelling in her feminine scent so distinctively Caroline's. He was enjoying her moans so much that he stopped here and there just to hear growl in frustration and then he proceeded continuing what he stopped doing, enjoying every sound she was pouring out, until she came gloriously, her upper body rising all the way up so her hands met his golden curls and he licked her once more travelling till her stomach and moved away from her body obviously still feeling the aftermath of her soaking orgasm, her skin glowing in sweat and sex glory. He liked her like this. Naked Caroline, a tousled Caroline panting and moaning under the effects of his touch was no nearer the perfect Caroline she so wanted to be. She was not that judgmental and self-righteous prick she masked herself, showing her true essence. 'Her perfect feathers were made to be ruffled', he thought and when he saw her head rising from her bliss, blonde locks covering half of her smiling, satisfied face, he cupped her cheeks, biting his lips in need. "I'm not even done with you", his voice was sex to Caroline's ears. "Good", she managed to say; if she was already satisfied one could tell the feeling didn't last as she, when seeing the need in Klaus eyes, the hunger he had for her, had her fire lit up again so she find strength and her centre was already soaking in anxiety. She grabbed him by the neck only to reverse their position: Klaus was now half reclined in bed, her legs straddling his hips, her core pressed to his throbbing manhood, her soft up and down movements caressing his sensitive spot, her breasts like feathers in his chest, her lips faintly grazing his earlobe. "God, Caroline", he moaned when she made her way down to his neck licking his skin under the curve of it, he held her hips tight with one arm, steadying them right above his throbbing member. "I need you, love", and she could hear his sincerity, raw eagerness and his shallow voice tickling in her shoulders. She gave him a smirk playing a difficult act that he didn't find quite amusing as she was finding. "Now", his voice was demanding and in a second, his tip was already making his way to her inner centre, her already shallow breath caught in the back of her throat as she was finding herself engulfing his large and fully erect member when he finished his pleas.

Their dance continued all night long, sobs and moans reverberating inside of those four walls, sweating bodies climbing onto one another, his calloused hands all over her, her fangs grazing sensually his skin, his scent making her hungry. She was almost reaching her peak when she heard him when one of his hands grabbed her ass only to make her more comfortable riding him "Have at it, love", his stubble caressing her bare shoulders, knowing it was what she needed to hear. Although her mind was running wild she still found it somewhere deep in her thoughts the will to not hurt him, so she licked him right above the crook of his neck as if her tongue was somewhat of a anaesthetic just to soothe the skin there before her fangs were craving it, filling her mouth with hot, sweet blood as soon as she was climaxing above him. All she could see was glorious explosions beneath her eyelids, her climax stronger than the one before. Klaus moved her hips twice more and he came as well, his pleasure triggered by her clenching and tightening walls around his hardened cock and her hunger for him. He let her collapse above his body, her nibbling over his already healing marks her fangs made. He smiled pretty much content with her show of affection, and she was kissing, trying to hide her eyes from him, or so he could see in them how utterly happy she was, his taste still lingering in her mouth.

_xxx_

The morning after was a strange one as the bittersweet taste of sex still hovered above both of them.

The curtains were pulled back, so a gleam of golden sun was kissing her bare back, half of her body resting above Klaus', one arm embracing him and her head all laid on his chest. She was still deeply asleep when he found himself feeling the heat by the sun rays, thinking that maybe the sun wasn't that bad and how comfortable he was under her soft embrace. To be fair, he wouldn't mind waking up every morning that he actually managed to sleep without being under the effects of alcohol to the sight of Caroline embraced in that golden aura that the sun involved her within and that suited her all too well. For the contrast, only his chest was exposed to the bright sun and his face was covered in shadows. 'How tragically fitting for them', he thought, as she was light, pure golden heavenly light and he was all darkness and vices, and horrendous ways of living.

He contemplated how angelic she was; despite her being a creature of darkness one couldn't tell if she was only a fallen angel, without her wings. The thing was: she was too good for him and even for herself. Trying to not awake her up he lift his arm quietly and slightly touched the top of her head, caressing it softy and his lips find their way to kiss the same spot.

His chest is heavy, he knows he has to wake her sometime, but he still wants to enjoy her company, only for awhile, the sufficient amount of time so he can figure how he can maintain himself sane and at bay while she's roaming the world. He knows he can't ask her to stay, there's too much at risk, and she cannot be there with him while there are too many enemies eager to learn the almighty Klaus has a weakness. Not that Caroline was a weakness for she was pretty capable of fighting her own battles, but the powerful witches and older vampires, not to even mention an entire pack of werewolves, would be too much to handle, and he was already trying to protect his scarce family and his daughter so he could not afford putting Caroline under the fire right now, he could not afford worrying for her just to lose her on the battlefield. But even if she wanted to stay, he knew they would fuck whatever they had and burn it to ashes even before it started. Sure, one could tell their week was pure joy and amused chuckles interspersed with the right amount of sexual tension and longing, but once that was dissipated all it was left for them was arguments, and accusatory, judgemental glares, for Caroline was not one to dismiss her morals and Klaus was not one to accept others' defiance without shooting to kill (except if that defiance was coming from the blonde that laid in his chest deep in her slumber). If she stayed at the moment, she would regret it later, he knew as much as that.

Deep in her dreams she knew when she was bound to wake up; her eyelids fluttered open slowly and the corners of her lips started making the form of what should be a satisfied smile in the few seconds following as the scent of bourbon, sex and earth were filling her nose, a small moan of satisfaction poured from her lips as her eyes fell on Klaus' and the tips of her fingers were brought to his thick stubble now. "How are you feeling, love", he asked as soon as he felt her eyes laid on his. She yawned and gave a quick kiss to the skin under her before she answered "I've never been better", and her chirping tone could make him the happiest man on earth, wasn't it for the sadness that tainted her perfect little blue orbs, and he already knew the reason for its presence. She sighed once she saw his mood swing, understanding the reasons behind it. "Klaus", she pleaded, she could see how he tried to hide but deep down he was hurt, even if the outcome was expected and already known. She could stay, she knew that much, but she also knew she was not ready to let herself be embraced by his darkness as he would consume her entirely after she did that. He was a very intense man, with dubious ways of dealing with his enemies, his paranoia and maniacal behaviour would, at one point of their journey – if started at the moment –, still be troublesome to her, as she was not ready to give up her morals and she knew she couldn't ask him to change his ways. He was Klaus, and he would do whatever it pleased him, and sooner or later, at the point of her life, they both knew Klaus would break her along their path. They weren't ready yet to concede to each other the traits that defined their entire beings to be with each other, she could forgive his wrongs but she couldn't forget and he could tolerate her defiance, but all it was needed was for him to be in a bad mood and taking it on her, eventually driving them apart. She knew she loved him too much to ask him to change, and he thought that she needed to grow up a little bit more and embrace her true nature before settling with him. Right now, if they decided to settle, regrets were destined to arise and he could see Caroline blaming him for breaking her spirit, and he would blame himself for destroying her very own light, one that he loved too much to lose. So, with a sad understanding silence between them, they got up from the bed, she packed her things and gave him a longing, sorrowful kiss.

"I'll be around, you know", she said once they were in her car, her baggage already in the car's trunk, her voice was timid as she played with her fingers. "You call me, and I'll be here in a sec-", she was interrupted by the sudden touch of his fingertips under her chin pushing her for a goodbye kiss. "Go live your life, Caroline Forbes, I'm not going anywhere", she smiled under that kiss, her eyes giving him that grateful look that he was once graced with in what seemed to be ages ago from the same blonde vampire he could not let go. He loved her and she knew that. No need getting all worked up, they both knew their own feelings and what they meant to each other. They just need to cross a few more paths before the last one could lead to their journey together.

"Promise me, Klaus", her tone was serious and there were so many promises that were lingering in her pleading eyes. 'Stop drinking, protect your family, lose the grip a little', were just a few but the most important and one that should be given without saying was 'don't forget me'. He nodded once with his head, knowing his voice with fail at his goodbye.

"Take care of yourself", he held the door of her car open and with a resigned exhale he closed the door behind them.

Both knew they would eventually find their way to each other's arms definitively, but before that happen, Klaus knew he had to learn how to control his temper around her, and Caroline knew she had to accept that in an immortal life there weren't many blacks and whites but many shades of gray in what was the right and wrong, and that Klaus lived by them. Only when they could accept their perks without driving each other crazy they could make the real commitment. Not now, but one day eventually.

_The end_

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[1] Mr Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen quote taken from GoodReads

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**I hope you liked it and that you could enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writting it. Forgiveany mistakes, and if they are so atrocious and nerve wrecking or if you liked please leave your review. I accept all type of criticism, if it is constructive.**

**Thank you for reading,**

**GG**


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